Canine cyclic thrombocytopenia

The Canine Cyclic thrombocytopenia (CCT) is a by rickettsia caused infectious disease in dogs whose excitation Anaplasma platys is. The disease occurs mainly in southern Europe, in German-speaking countries it is one of the "travel diseases". The disease is characterized by a cyclical decrease in blood platelets . The CCT belongs to the canine anaplasmoses . Doxycycline is used for treatment .

Occurrence and pathogenesis

The brown dog tick acts as a carrier of the disease . The disease is in Southern Europe, Israel, South Asia, Venezuela and Australia endemic .

Anaplasma platys only affects the blood platelets and leads to a cyclical decrease in them ( thrombocytopenia ). Mixed infections with other pathogens transmitted by the brown dog tick are common, especially those associated with Ehrlichiosis , Babesiosis and Hepatozoonosis

Clinical picture and diagnostics

Clinically, the disease is unspecific. Both subclinical and severe clinical pictures are observed. Clinical signs of the infection can be fatigue, reluctance to eat, weight loss, purulent nasal discharge, swollen lymph nodes, anemia, uveitis and fever . Severe courses are characterized by coagulation disorders .

Evidence of the pathogen in the blood smear is uncertain. They can possibly be represented as basophilic collections ("morulae") in the blood platelets. The disease can only be determined with certainty by PCR detection of the pathogen DNA.

Combat

Doxycycline is used for treatment . If the pathogen cannot be eliminated with this active ingredient, imidocarb can be used.

As a preventive measure - also to prevent other tick-borne diseases - protection with tick-repellent and tick-killing agents is recommended.

literature

• Georg Duscher et al .: Travel sickness in dogs and cats. In: Kleintierpraxis 55 (2010), pp. 204–225.

This article is about a health issue. It is not used for self-diagnosis and does not replace a diagnosis by a doctor. Please note the information on health issues !